15Yoga Freaks
Yes, I know that there are many out there who vehemently despise yogis. I get it, really I do. However, have those people actually ever tried yoga? I doubt it because one downward dog leads to another tree which leads to an instant state of relaxation, resulting in an utter fascination with all things yogi.
Those who know me will agree that I am not necessarily a calm person on a day-to-day basis. Coming from a family of four with a mother who is moving at all times of the day at a speed of motion that is inconceivable for most of us, I guess you could say I am a little bit of a type A (to say the least). However, get me in a great yoga class and I am the weirdo in the back closing her eyes chanting loudly to mantras and completely invested in myself. This is very rare.
Anyway, I have been experimenting with yoga spots in my new hood since I have arrived. I tried out Yoga Works first and was severely disappointed. Although I love meditation, the classes were packed and the teachers lacked the spirit that encourages me to actually venture outside of my humble abode. Not to mention, I constantly feared someone would “accidentally” kick me in the face for maybe being a little more flexible than them? Yes, it might sound unlikely, but yoga can be highly competitive….
I think I have finally come across my calling- Pure- it actually might be able to offer me all I need and I am almost ready to start at a yoga studio, rather than going with the obvious gym membership. After searching the neighborhood for the ideal location, I received raving reviews from my more yogi inclined friends. Trying to look at it from a practical perspective, I instantly just saw price tags attached and couldn’t understand the value of the whole deal. Having tried two classes (usually I am quite a critique), I must say that it is all entirely worth it.
To give you a brief picture of my new sanctuary: located right off of 86th Street, so one can conveniently take the 4 or 6, lies the answer to all our dreams. It is a spa, but with an entirely yogi focus, designed to take yoga to a completely different level. On the rough streets of Manhattan, Pure is like entering the hottest new Japanese restaurant on a Friday night without the older women throwing themselves at your best friends, but rather aiming to expand their spirituality and eager to have you join them on their spiritual destiny.
Showing up an hour late after the necessary personal maintenance, Hayley and I managed to come across a rare treasure, “Kundali yoga.” I was instantly intrigued. I called Pure over three times to discuss this obscure phenomenon, only to be told repeatedly that it was indescribable, but that it had a very strong following. Being that it was the last class of the day and I was dying to kill all anxieties gained from traveling to the fashion district at rush hour, Hayley and I decided we must try it out.
We sauntered into room six only to discover a dozen women all sprawled out on the floor. Not knowing who or what to expect, I accidentally took a front seat on the floor. Just as I was managing to slip into vinyasa, a lithe woman slipped into the room dressed entirely in white, but effortlessly chic with a somewhat mideastern presence. However, how can one ever know? Feeling confident, I immediately became a little overzealous in my surroundings….
As the angelic teacher led us in our first chant, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was wasting my time with this new type of yoga. After preparing for a class of meditation, my classmates and I were led into a series of positions that are highly uncommon for the average yogi. Our guru understood the sexual orientations so ingrained in the yoga practice, and freely embraced them. Each move we took on had multiple healing powers and we were amazed to see a dozen women contort to these movements without some giggles along the way. Let’s just say that this brought forth memories of anything other than yoga, but allowed me to reach an unusual connection with myself that I have never experienced before in all of my other classes.
I don’t think further explanation is necessary, but it was anything other than ordinary. As I awoke from an extremely hard work out, I was awakened to life by a chant of something along the lines of, “Giving peace and light to the world.” Yes, that may sound cheesy, but it was like it was sung from the voices of angels. Only to be concluded with a spiritual saga that encouraged us to forget our inner demons from past relationships and give in to the chant- if only I could remember the words-Hayley and I swear to practice each day!
As I finished out my practice, I finally managed to reach a state of silence and bliss. The closing words reverberated the emotions that were generated within my body and I couldn’t help but openly embrace a practice that I might otherwise be a little skeptical of. As the class came to an end, classmates stood in line to shake our guru’s hand. I stood in awe as I overheard stories of her magic, healing powers. Non yogis will defiantly laugh in my face, but I wholeheartedly believe it, and now openly accept it. Our guru took in the energy of the class and helped us quell our anxieties and misgivings all through her spiritual oneness with the world (can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but just trying to give you an accurate perspective). I was surprised to hear many women praise her as a, “healer” whose practices are based around the shared intentions of the class.
Normally, this level of yogi would be quite humorous. Yet, I am entirely sold on it all. If only you were the lucky individual to walk behind Haley and I this evening…we could have fooled you. You would have been instantly been able to peg us for the conventional yoga dialect, but I finally get it. And quite frankly, Pure has finally sold me…. Namaste.
-J
